Return on Investment

On page 2 ofthe March 17th edition of the Indy Star, Matthew Tully issued a call in his column for us to shift our attention from the healthcare debate and to focus our energy on an issue that threatens the future of our city and nation–education, or the lack of it. Matt goes on to point out that our vitality cannot be assured if we continue to have 25-30% of young people drop out of high school, because we are losing too many of future leaders, workers, and contributors. Matt also noted that there are signs that we have the potential to turn things around if we just keep pushing hard.

Then I flipped to page 1 and the headline read: Jump in Inmates is Biggest in U.S.: State Prison Population Rose 5.3 Percent Last Year.

Research shows that those who dropout of high school are much more likely to end up incarcerated, on public assistance, unemployed, and in poor health. If that isn’t enough incentive to keep pushing, I don’t know what else it will take.